Dan O'Connor helps clients resolve commercial disputes and respond to white collar inquiries and investigations. With regard to commercial litigation, he has represented clients in connection with contract claims, business torts, creditor's rights, and antitrust and deceptive advertising claims. In the area of white collar defense, Mr. O'Connor has assisted in conducting extensive internal investigations, replying to grand jury and other investigative subpoenas, and negotiating resolutions to government investigations.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. O'Connor practiced in the areas of commercial litigation and bankruptcy with a large, regional law firm based in Tampa, Fla.

Select Representations

• Defended former U.S. District Court Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr. (E.D. La.) in his impeachment trial before the U.S. Senate.
• Represented a multi-billion dollar consumer products company against a series of ex parte TRO complaints by current and former dealers in state and federal courts in Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. All state cases were removed to federal court, all preliminary relief was denied or dismissed, and all of the cases were either sent to binding contractual arbitration, dismissed with prejudice, or otherwise favorably resolved.
• Assisted in the internal investigation and defense of a multi-national corporation under criminal investigation for alleged price fixing and other competition-related matters.
• Helped advise and defend current and former employees of a large financial institution in connection with investigations conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and New York Attorney General’s Office into business activities related to sub-prime lending, residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), and various structured financial products, including collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and credit default swaps (CDSs).
• Represented a consumer victimized by “notario fraud” (a type of legal consulting fraud where an individual misrepresents him or herself as an attorney to a non-English speaker seeking legal advice) and successfully recovered double the consumer’s damages and obtained an injunction barring the defendant from providing, or advertising, legal services.

Bar and Court Admissions

District of Columbia

Florida

Minnesota

United States Supreme Court

United States Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh and District of Columbia Circuits

United States District Courts for the District of Columbia, District of Maryland, District of Minnesota, and Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts of Florida

United States Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Columbia, District of Maryland, District of Minnesota, and Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts of Florida

Education

Washington University, J.D., 2006

University of Minnesota, B.S.B., with honors and distinction, 2003

Speeches and Seminars

• "What's in a Name: The Impeachment of G. Thomas Porteous, Jr.," The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis's 4th Annual St. Louis Bankruptcy Conference, St. Louis, Mo., May 2011 
• "Notario Fraud: What Is It? How Can We Stop It?," American Bar Association's 2009 Annual Conference, Chicago, Ill., July 2009